


We Were Together

by Carleen



Category: Mass Effect
Genre: Bromance to Romance, Epic Bromance, F/M, M/M, Mass Effect 3: Leviathan
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2013-10-19
Updated: 2013-10-23
Packaged: 2017-12-29 20:45:00
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 2
Words: 5,926
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/1009896
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Carleen/pseuds/Carleen
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>In the mood to read a ManShep/Garrus story only to discover there were no new stories. I remembered the scene from the Leviathan DLC when Shepard returns to the surface. No one helps him. Bugged me. I fixed it. Therefore, I present for your inspection my own contribution to the genre. Be warned, things get very adult in here. Nyreen Kandros & Aria T'Loak show up as we head over to the Omega DLC.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter 1

* * *

“We were together. I forget the rest.”  —Walt Whitman

* * *

 

Calm and stoic, even fatalistic, turian's don't panic, jump to conclusions or question their superiors. Both powerful and courageous, Commander Shepard possessed the skills required to survive whatever he might face. Therefore watching him fold his lanky body—including armor and weapons—into that diving apparatus shouldn't affect Garrus Vakarian personally.

Along with Tali, his job was to provide cover fire for Steve Cortez and the Commander while they got Shepard buckled in and ready to launch. When the final Husk crumpled and the last Brute dropped over the side, Garrus watched Shepard run through the launch checklist with Steve. While Garrus was rapidly losing sight of his own emotions, the human's voice betrayed no hint of anxiety.

 _What if it leaked? What if only one of a thousand things that might go wrong did go wrong? What about the thousand things they didn't even know about?_ Garrus kept these thoughts to himself, remained silent and checked his weapon readiness. Turians don't question the decisions of their superiors.

Shepard walked the rig to the side of the plunging platform. The rain was coming down in sheets now. The deck pitched and rolled beneath their feet. This was reckless behavior and should be stopped. Wasn't that a first officer's job?

"Shepard!"

With a hand to his ear, Garrus opened a com link. He began to speak as he moved toward him. "Carnivorous fish, unknown depths, broken communication, you, scheduled to the save the galaxy. Need I say more, _sir?"_ Addressing Shepard with the term he never used just to emphasize his point.

Shepard turned the diving unit in Garrus's direction. For a moment, looked down into his friend's concerned eyes, searching for acceptance of the chance he was about to take. The turian didn't have to like it, but he gave Shepard a nod of understanding. Then Shepard winked at his friend and dropped over the side.

"You've pulled me out of worse than this, Garrus," responded the muffled voice of the Commander.

Garrus watched him sink out of sight. "Don't think for a minute, that I'll jump in after you!"

Tali and Steve joined Garrus as they watched and waited on the storm washed deck of the platform. After the first hour, Garrus wished more mechs would drop by and give them all something to do.

After two hours Tali got seasick. If she asked one more time if he thought it would be okay to remove her mask to throw up he would rip it off her face for her.

Steve was pacing. That was bad enough, but he was singing a wordless, and to the turian's ear utterly tuneless song over and over.

"What in the hell are you singing?" Garrus shouted through the rain blowing sideways across the deck.

Steve shrugged, "I don't know the name of it."

Three hours and even Garrus was pacing. Steve was checking the shuttle over and Tali was curled in a ball on the deck.

"For Spirits sake, Tali! At least find a spot out of the rain."

"What the _hell_ is up your ass, Garrus?"

"I believe the popular cultural myth is a stick. Why don't you sit inside the shuttle?"

"Why don't you sit inside the shuttle. I'm waiting for Shepard, too."

"You're waiting for Shepard so you can tell him how sick you are."

"Hey, I have an idea. Why don't you two stop fighting like a couple of little kids?" Cortez yelled from the shuttle.

They weren't about to let anyone stop this fight. For one thing it was fun and it passed the time. Tali thought she might even let Garrus win this time.

"So why have you been standing on the edge staring down at the water for the last three hours," She countered.

"When I see him I can give him a hand up."

"I think this has even your turian calm ruffled."

"Shut up. Don't you have to throw up or something?"

Garrus felt her hand on his arm. "He'll come back, Garrus. He always does."

"No, Tali. He doesn't always come back." He laid his arm across her shoulders. "I apologize." He leaned against her to comfort her. He also needed the reassuring strength of her petite frame. He gave her a squeeze. Next to Shepard, Tali was probably the bravest person he'd ever known.

Tali slipped her arm through the his and they waited.

Just as the sun was setting and the rain had finally stopped, the diving apparatus popped to the surface. Garrus caught just a glimpse of Shepard's face before it dropped below the churning waves again. A red gout of blood ran from nose to chin. Dark lashes lay like crescent moons against white cheeks.

It took all three of them to wrestle the thing to the deck. Steve opened the hatch and Garrus caught the unconscious Shepard in his arms. They raced for the shuttle. Garrus dropped onto the bench and hauled Shepard up next to his side. While Tali tucked a blanket around the shivering form of their commander, Garrus turned in the seat with his back against a bulkhead and pulled Shepard between his legs. His head dropped lifelessly to the turian's shoulder.

Tali gently placed another blanket over Shepard's head and went to sit up front with Steve.

Shepard roused, when the shuttle began to move.

"Garrus? W-What...?"

"You returned unconscious from the water. We needed to get you warm. I needed to make sure you were okay. So, I uh, volunteered. But if you'd rather have Tali?"

"Not necessary," and Shepard slid his arms behind Garrus and relaxed against him. "Although, you are ruining my tough as nails image by sitting me on your lap."

"Then we're even. While you were out there playing around in the water. My usual turian fatalism abandoned me for a minute or two." Garrus gently wiped the blood from the human's face.

"Can I admit something to you?" Shepard raised his eyes. Garrus carefully pulled the blanket up over his head again and leaned closer to hear.

"Garrus, I was scared."

Garrus's arms involuntarily tightened around the human. He touched his forehead to Shepard's, "Hey, I was scared too. Just close your eyes. You're safe now."

~o~

Shepard awoke slowly, cataloging each detail of his surroundings. The room was completely dark, but he knew he was in his own bed. That was a good sign. He was warm and he remembered thinking he'd never be warm again. Stretching his legs experimentally he realized two very important facts.

"Garrus Vakarian, how did I wind up naked in bed with you? I'm pretty sure this doesn't come under First Officer, duties as assigned."

"You were hypothermic, Garrus murmured. His voice rumbling with early morning subharmonics. "And, you refused to stay in Med bay. Chakwas told me I had to personally bring you here and make sure you were warm.

After I walked you up here, I realized you were soaked to the skin. So I had to remove all your clothes. Don't think that won't give me nightmares. Then I realized, I was also cold, and soaked through. So I stripped and climbed under the covers which solved several problems. How we ended up spooned together like this is, uh… a matter for consideration. We did not begin the night like this. However, I am relieved you are awake, because if you move your hips against me just a few more times, I'm afraid we might become more than friends."

"Er, sorry. I'll just get up. But you'll have to let go of me."

Instead of releasing his hold, Garrus spread his fingers wider and wrapped his arm tighter around Shepard's chest. Shepard felt himself pressed against his best friend's naked body.

"Garrus?"

"Your actions yesterday, to use Tali's words, ruffled my usual turian calm. By the first hour, I had begun to dread what we would find if you did come back up. By the end of the second hour I had begun to grieve, by the end of the third hour I was planning to go back to Palaven to die gloriously on the battlefield, because without… By the end of the fourth hour I realized I... I stayed with you last night because I needed... more than a friend...John Shepard."

Garrus cleared his throat and tried again, "We've become far too conservative a people, but in the early days of our history, brothers in arms were often… well, they were sometimes closer than just friends."

Shepard was having his own issues with the concept 'more than friends,' Garrus's breath was warm on the back of his neck. Which equal parts tickled and made his hips twitch. The texture of the turian's skin on his backside was both soft like the finest leather, yet strong and tough. Not soft and pliant like woman's skin, or muscle to match muscle like a human man, but something very different. It's not as if he'd never been this close to Garrus. Well, not exactly this close. They'd removed their armor, pulled their under armor shell to their waist, smelled each other's sweat and tried to clean up in places were there were no facilities. But those moments were more like a locker room and James or Kaidan have been always there too.

Shepard's memories of the day began to emerge. He remembered falling and Garrus catching him. Garrus holding him, sharing his body heat. Garrus had taken care of him and watched over him until he had recovered. The human felt himself relaxing. A long breath went out of him. It felt good to relax, to let go for a moment and let someone else be strong.

"I have not heard of it, but is there something like that custom in your society?" Garrus asked, trying again to broach a subject he never imagined discussing with anyone.

"Not specifically, we got over labels long ago. It's about sharing affection and even love. Sometimes it is just sex. We got over gender discrimination and arbitrary rules about relationships long before I was born."

"Then why are you nervous?"

"I'm not nervous."

"Your elevated heart rate says otherwise"

"That's not it." Shepard removed his friend's hand from his rib cage and moved it slowly down to his fully erect member. "This is the reason."

"Well, I don't know what to say." Garrus flexed his fingers over the shaft and was rewarded with a gasp from the commander.

"That pretty much says it all, my friend. Besides, you started this."

"I didn't."

"You did. Come here." Shepard rolled over on his back and wrapped his right arm around the turian's cowl and pulled him down.

Garrus responded by burying his face under the other man's chin. Shepard chuckled, "Other than bipedal we aren't really shaped the same, but we fit together. I like this." Shepard rubbed his leg against the back of the lean muscled calf. _He wondered how it would feel if he hooked his legs over the spurs?_ And that thought, sent a wave of need straight between his legs and into the turian's fingers.

"I like it, too. What do you want me to do with this? It's leaking all over the place."

"That depends on just how good a friend you intend to be."

"So, an acquaintance, might just set it down, so to speak, and walk away."

"Well, that's personal stuff you've got there. I don't think an acquaintance would ever get a hold of that."

"Interesting choice of words. However, 'get a hold' denotes grasping, but not pressure. So is this much pressure, too much?" Garrus asked with feigned innocence, sliding his hand to the top and back down again.

When Shepard could speak again, "There's also tempo, pattern and rhythm. But those are very subjective."

"Are they? Is a relative amateur able to grasp those concepts, as they relate to humans, of course? Or perhaps a more unconventional method might be employed?"

Three fingers tightened around his member and began to move. He knew turians and Garrus in particular were strong. But the vice-like grip of his thick fingers. _Oh, damn. Oh, damn...Garrus!_

With his other arm under Shepard's body, Garrus held him against him so he could feel every movement of the human's body as he responded to the stroking.

Garrus spoke against the human's cheek. The words coming out as much like kisses as a warning, "You will never do anything as reckless as that again."

Garrus reached down under the human's sac, cupping them firmly and allowing one taloned finger to trail across the sensitive area between his cheeks. Shepard jerked against the turian's hold on him.

"Promise?" His hand duplicated the move, pressing a little deeper and lingering a little longer.

Shepard felt as if his entire awareness were balanced between the hands and body of this turian.

"I-I pro… You damned..." Instead of completing the affirmation, Shepard turned his head, his mouth roughly seeking out firmer textures of Garrus's muzzle. When he found it he grasped the soft leather with his lips and plied it with a very human kiss. This time it was Garrus's turn to respond. At the unexpected sensation of Shepard's soft lips and tongue, the turian reared back and away.

"Where the hell do you think you're going?" Shepard pulled on the turian's cowl and caught the turian mouth with his lips again.

Mandibles tickled his cheek and nose as they flared in and out. He kissed Garrus with all the desire the turian generated had in him. The effect had him pushing himself up into the three-fingered grip. Every third or fourth stroke Garrus allowed his finger to drift down between Shepard's ass. When he carefully inserted a blunted talon inside, Shepard yielded.

"Garrus! he gasped. Stop or I'll lose it. Not yet." But his balls lifted and tightened as his awareness shrank to his straining cock and Garrus's hand.

"I do not wish to stop. Allow this moment to take its natural course. And for once do as you're told."

With his face buried inside the turian's cowl, Shepard surrendered himself to his friend.

His body superheated. Desire loped across his flesh as his body prepared for release.

Someone was chanting, he thought it might be him. "Please, Garrus. Garrus!" Yeah, that was his voice.

Then in one final terrible moment, Shepard felt the last of his control slip away. With a final shout bit down on the cowl next to his mouth and erupted into the hand of his friend.

Instinctively, Garrus stopped stroking and allowed the moment to evolve. While Shepard shuddered in his arms, Garrus held him tenderly, copying those kisses across the human's face and neck. Garrus licked away the salty wet taste on Shepard's face.

"Garrus?" Shepard chuckled as he unwound himself from the turian and raised his head. "What have you done?"

"I don't require a definition or words. Your response is my answer," Garrus answered gravely as if he hadn't just given Shepard the best hand job of his entire life. _There was that cadet at the academy... No this was better. This was Garrus._

"Then I wish I had mandibles to move and subharmonics to properly let you know how I feel about what's happening here."

"That is unnecessary, human. I know your every expression. The lines of your grief, the sardonic smile. The moment of weakness you occasionally allow yourself when you think no one is looking. The look of complete satisfaction when it comes to your ship and crew."

"And now?"

"A softness, which admittedly, I've never seen before."

"Garrus… ." Shepard whispered against the scarred cheek and placed gentle kisses until he reached firm ridge of the turian's mouth. Garrus was a fast learner and he relaxed his mouth and jaw to accept the kiss.

"Do turians kiss this way?" Shepard asked after a few minutes of learning how to kiss a turian.

"No."

"I enjoy kissing, but you should let me know if...Maybe I could kiss you a little harder than you could kiss me?"

Shepard experimentally grazed his teeth over Garrus's chin.

Garrus pulled back, his eyes widening in surprise. "I will learn to kiss if you promise to do that again."

"My pleasure." Kissing the soft leather of the turian's jaw and mouth. Just when he was about to pull away Shepard bit down on the turian's upper mouth.

In response, Garrus rolled up and over, positioning himself over Shepard's body, easily pinning the human's arms above his head. The blue eyes turned luminous with icy feral need. Along the entire length of his body Shepard felt the vibrations of Garrus's response. The sensation was an incredible mix of rough heated textures and urgency.

The turian's body changed again when Garrus bit down on a groan. And just below his belly, Shepard felt something hot and wet moving against his thighs.

"Garrus! Oh…" Shepard wanted to spread his legs, surrender and open himself to his friend. He caught Garrus's head in his hands.

"Tell me or show me." Kissing him gently again and running his tongue along the ridge of the thin lips.

Garrus looked alarmed and shook his head. "No, we should stop. It's just… my weakness… this was about you."

 _Wait. He was backing away. What had gone wrong?_ "Don't you dare walk away from me, Garrus Vakarian."

Before Shepard could sit up, Garrus was already moving to the edge of the bed. Turians might be fast and Garrus was motivated. But he forgot about Shepard's enhanced abilities and in one quick lunge the commander pulled Garrus back down. Where he pinned Garrus's upper body. When he had the turian secure, he allowed his hand to gently trace the outline of Garrus's erect penis.

To Shepard it was a revelation. He wanted to be possessed by it, taste it and feel the wet heat of it against the palm of his hand.

"Garrus, I don't know what is causing your reluctance. But I want you to know how much this means to me."

"I was only thinking of you."

"And now it's time to think of you." Shepard nuzzled the exposed skin of the turian's neck. When Shepard traced a line with his tongue he felt Garrus ripple under him. Never releasing the three fingered hands, Shepard began a journey across the body beneath him.

"Shepard, wait."

The human raised his head.

"I've seen so many things go wrong―"

"―How many people are in this room?" Asked Shepard with a grin and a shake of his head. "Never mind. You just stay right there and don't worry." Shepard decided to put Garrus's example of actions instead of words to work. Shepard's nose and mouth discovered hard planes and edges which had probably once been sharp, but with the almost continuous armor use, were worn down. _Someday, Shepard promised himself. No more armor. Someday._

A sound from Garrus brought him back him to the business at hand. Then he remembered something he'd overheard in a bar. Turians and waists. Didn't really make sense to him, but when he circled Garrus's waist with his hands, the turian shifted in appreciation.

Okay. Shepard began a messaging motion with his fingertips and Garrus responded with a throaty sound. A few more rounds of that and the turian's hips were moving off the mattress. Shepard paid close attention to the turian's reactions and when he wrapped his arms around Garrus's hips, the turian carded his fingers across the human's head. The sensation of the talons on his scalp made him shiver. _Oh God, yes. More of that later._

Now Garrus was moving almost uncontrollably, with his head thrown back and his hands fisted into the sheets. Shepard doubted he could get a coherent answer out of him, if he needed one. The human closed his eyes for a moment. Garrus trusted him and he knew it. And he wondered, _how long has it been since anyone touched you with passion, my turian friend?_

Shepard kissed his way around the over-sensitized flesh of Garrus's arousal. _Go slow, Shepard_. He reminded himself before swirling his tongue around its head. Suddenly and without sound, Garrus grabbed Shepard's head and began pumping his cock into Shepard's mouth. With no control over penetration, Shepard couldn't stop the long phallus from going straight down his throat. How to breathe? He couldn't speak to make Garrus stop, so what to do? Breathing was first on the list.

Not that this wasn't intentensly erotic and Shepard almost cursed his human inadequacies, but breathing would have to take precedence here. _The possibility of anaphylactic shock didn't even worry him...Not that he intended to, or ever had, swallowed. He might. If Garrus asked him to. Next time. Would there be a next time? Hell yes. But right now, breathing was too important. Wait, Garrus was military protocol to his bones and Shepard was his CO. Time to take command._ When he could, Shepard took a deep breath, grabbed the three fingered hands from his ass and threw the turian over on his back.

 _Now it was time for some legendary Commander Shepard courage._ Without asking for permission or even looking at the man beneath him, Shepard straddled him. Not exactly sure how he would explain the injuries to Chakwas and before Garrus could start worrying, Shepard impaled himself on the quivering weeping phallus.

When he found his voice, he whispered into the turian's ear. "I'm all yours, Garrus. Just please take me with you."

The turian's answer was to sit up and with both arms around Shepard's waist begin to move. Shepard ground his teeth together to keep from crying out at the deeper penetration. Sharp teeth nipped at his chest and strong hands held him in position.

His own cock sprang to life again and Shepard arched his back to bring it into contact with the turian chest.

A storm born out of shared experiences, the isolation of a soldier in the field and a friendship finding its own definition crashed over them. They clung together, with the gradual understanding that their need for each other was real, enduring and right.

Shepard was trembling with reaction to the sensations skittering across his skin and throbbing in his heated blood. When the storm passed, they rested quietly against each other. Sweat melting together and their breath mingling between them.

"Shepard?"

"Shhh, I don't want this moment to end."

"I think you might want very much for it to end. You're in considerable discomfort, perhaps pain."

"How can you even speak in complete sentences after that?"

"Shepard?" Garrus gently laid the human down and slowly withdrew. A long lingering kiss later, Shepard sat up and pulled on Garrus's hand.

"Come on," Shepard looped an arm around the turian and lead him toward the bathroom. "We're a mess. Let's go take a shower and you can show me around. I have an idea about those leg spurs..."

* * *

 

"WE two boys together clinging,  
One the other never leaving,  
Up and down the roads going, North and South excursions making,  
Power enjoying, elbows stretching, fingers clutching,  
Arm'd and fearless, eating, drinking, sleeping, loving.  
No law less than ourselves owning, sailing, soldiering, thieving, threatening,  
Misers, menials, priests alarming, air breathing, water drinking, on the turf or the sea-beach dancing,  
Cities wrenching, ease scorning, statutes mocking, feebleness chasing,  
Fulfilling our foray.”

  
― Walt Whitman


	2. We Were Together

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> A reviewer asked for more chapters. So let’s peek around the corner and see what our two boys are up to. I wonder how that that shower is coming along…

Garrus willingly followed Shepard into the bathroom. When he Shepard turned on the faucet, Garrus balked at the sight of the steaming water. Submerging himself in hot water had rather negative consequences for his hide.

Before the human stepped under the water he extended his hand to Garrus.

“Hey.” Shepard said softly and the _come here_ grin got his feet moving.

But he dodged when Shepard reached out to him with soapy hands.

“Do you have any idea what that military-issue soap does to my skin?”

When the human stepped under the streaming water Garrus forgot everything about soap, hot water and dry itchy plates. For reasons he could never label properly the sight of water cascading over human muscles and bones did something to him. His eyes followed the trail of water — _sweet spirits_ — it was suilucing off the end of… Garrus jerked his eyes away.

And the odd sprouts of hair. What was that about? Some curious left over evolutionary requirement for...what? Now, just a minute. He’s never noticed this before. A hole? There’s a hole in Shepard’s abdomen! Perhaps it’s a secondary sexual… no, that couldn’t be it.

Garrus was so transfixed by the human’s body he hasn’t noticed he’s being watched in return. Until a hand entered his view and captured his waist possessively around his waist and slide down over his bottom. Suddenly he’s pulled forward under the water and into Shepard’s arms.

“Well, I’m not going to ask if you like what you see, because I don’t know how that could be. So I’ll just say I’m glad you are looking.”

Garrus cocked his head and felt his heart warm and expand. The turian pushed the human against the wall until they were out of the water. Although it still pounding on Garrus’s back. Well, maybe that didn’t feel too uncomfortable. Gently pinning the human's arms to his side

 “It has nothing to do with the texture of your skin or the roundness of your face or strange little fingers and toes. Or the salty taste of you. It has —Garrus nuzzled Shepard’s mouth — everything to do with the fact that it’s you.”

“Garrus…” Shepard held on to Garrus a little tighter because his knees were getting weak. The emotional impact of layers of affection has added to their already solid friendship was almost overwhelming. He felt tears stinging his eyes again. _Dammit, Garrus. Is this love?_

Before he could follow that thought, Garrus was shushing him.

“It has to do with the human who met a turian, picked him from his sad and narrow life and gave him a whole new world to explore. Who kept him by his side, allowed him to prove himself and found him worthy.”

“Shut up and come here.” When Garrus resisted, Shepard grabbed both sides of this cowl and pulled him down for a kiss. The human puts every bit of love he felt in his heart.

By the time they came up for air the water had turned cold. “Hey, Shepard… maybe you’d better take me back to bed.”

“Hmmm,” Shepard sighed, gently stroking the engorged blue-veined shaft. I don’t think we have to go that far.”

Shepard turned up the hot water and threw a towel on the floor and knelt in front of Garrus. The water cascaded over them both now. Shepard stroked his hands up and down the turian’s long legs. With a hand on each spur Shepard pulled him toward to capture him with his mouth.

“I’m not usually this forthright. What are you doing to me?”

Garrus couldn't answer, because he’d just watched his cock disappear down the throat of his commanding officer. His head fell back and his eyes closed to the ecstasy of the human’s hot tight mouth.

Eventually, after every crew member on the Normandy had been deprived of a hot shower, they made it back to the bed.

She never told anyone but EDI diverted enough for Joker to have a hot shower. She knew how much he enjoyed it. With a satisfied smile she went returned her attention to flying the ship.

Traynor’s voice woke them from a tangle of angular limbs and thick ropy muscles. Blue eyes popped open to a set of equally startled blue human eyes.

_“Commander? Is everything alright?”_

“Yeah, Lieutenant. Just overslept.” Extricating himself from Garrus’s embrace he tried to wake up.

_“Admiral Hackett is waiting for your report on the Leviathan in the vid com. May I tell him you are on your way?”_

“Of course. I’ll be right there. Shepard out.”

As soon as Traynor signed off, EDI chimed in. _“Commander, Major Alenko and Tali are on their way to your quarters now to check on you.”_

“Thank you, EDI. Throw the lock and I’ll love you forever.”

 _“Done. While I appreciate the sentiment. Using that term twice in twelve hours renders it a bit shallow don’t you think? Logging_ _you out, Commander.”_

Shepard rolled himself to a sitting position. “Unless you intend to hide in the bathroom I suggest you sneak out the window.”

“Sneak? Turians do not sneak.” Garrus put his hand around the back of Shepard’s neck and pulled him in for a kiss. “I can throw my armor back on in a minute. They won’t notice a thing. I’ll get the coffee started and you get dressed. And, uh, be sure you check yourself in the mirror before you walk out.” Garrus gave him a playful push toward the stairs.

With the bathroom door shut firmly behind him Shepard made a quick assessment of the bathroom. Every single towel was on the floor, except for the one they’d used to cushion Garrus’s backside on the counter. Water dripped from every surface in the small room and after Shepard was able to clear the steamed mirror just enough to see himself.

“Oh shit…” Shepard grabbed towel and wiped at the rather triumphant shade of indigo streaked across his cheek. The Shepard in the mirror grinned at him. Then he couldn’t help it, he started laughing and couldn’t stop. He was still laughing when he stuck his head under the shower. After scrubbing his head dry, he brushed his teeth, shrugged on a set of fatigues and shoved his still wet feet into boots. Then he firmly closed the bathroom door made it to the couch with a cup of coffee.

“How did we do?”

“Pretty good. If you they don’t notice the odd marks on the aquarium or my identification tags on the floor just under your desk. I heard the sound of your laughter. Was it the sound of a happy Commander?”

“You know it was. Don’t go all coy with me now, Blue”

‘“Blue?’”

It took Garrus a moment longer to get the reference and both men were laughing when Tali and Kaidan entered his quarters.

“Good morning, Shepard. Did we miss a joke?” Said casually, pouring himself a cup of coffee. “We just wanted to check on you. Traynor said you may have overslept.”

“And you thought it might take both of you to wake me up?”

“Well, no. But you did take a pretty good beating yesterday.”

“I’m fine, Kaidan. Nothing that a hot shower and a good night’s sleep couldn’t fix. Now, if you’ll excuse me Hackett is waiting for my report on the Leviathan mission. Garrus and Tali, why don’t you come with me. You can add any details I might have missed, shooting a pointed look at Alenko, after that beating I took.”

Kaidan threw up his hands in surrender and followed them out, but not before he stopped and scanned the room. He’d never known this room to be anything but squared away. The blanket was crooked and one of the pillows was on the floor. Under the desk something metal glinted in the low light. Just as he headed toward it Shepard called him.

“Garrus, you should get that checked,” Kaidan commented, as he entered the elevator, pointing to a dark blue bruise on Garrus’s lower jaw.

Shepard kept his eyes fixed on the door. This reminded him of those ridiculously long elevator rides on the Citadel.

“Looks like something bit you. Had you two even stopped at Medbay last night?”

Shepard stifled a sigh of relief when the doors opened and he could get to the vid com. The collar of his hoodie covered the bite marks on his own neck. He resisted the urge to pull the collar up. Just a few short hours ago Shepard had bit him and a wrestling match ensued because Garrus had made fun of his little white teeth. Shepard had cheated by pinning him to the floor with a flash of biotics. Garrus returned the favor by biting him back.

And it was just lucky that no one noticed the odd marks on the fish tank. Shit! He’d forgotten all about the fish tank.

The fish tank. He’d pushed Garrus against the glass wall and suddenly stopped their motion because he could see the turian was about to crash his fringe against the wall. In a last second attempt to keep Garrus from hurting himself, Shepard placed his hands on the fringe so the backs of his hands would hit the wall first.

Garrus had looked at him with a mixture of distrust and surprise. “Why did you do that?”

“I had leverage on you and it looked as if you might crack the back of your head against the glass.”

By the look of him, Shepard could tell Garrus was either angry or well, hell, he didn’t actually know. So he waited for Garrus to explain. While the Garrus stared at the fish, Shepard found a pair of pants and slipped them on.

Finally, Garrus seemed to shake himself. “I’m not trying to be mysterious, _meus sodalis_. What you did… in turian society, the male fringe is...Funny, I never even thought of it until you touched me. It suggests an level of intimacy intended for..." Garrus shot him a look, but averted his eyes back to the fishtank. "Well, for a bonded pair".

“Hey, come here. I won’t touch you there again until you think the time is right.”

Eyes bright with emotion, the closed his eyes in gratitude as he solemnly touched his forehead to Shepard’s. The moment was full with promises to soon to speak of and words neither man was experienced in expressing. But arms could entwine. Hands could comfort. A human head could rest against a turian shoulder and for another moment in time, Garrus could keep Shepard safe.

Garrus and Tali flanked him as Admiral Hackett came to life on the halo. Shepard banished the memories of the night and pulled himself to attention.

“What did you find for us, Shepard? I read your report. We’ll talk later about how your methods for meeting the Leviathan.”

“Yes, sir. I think Garrus and Tali would agree with you. The creature promised to help us with the Reapers. It could have allowed me to die down there, but it didn’t.”

“And that’s the reason you trust its motives?”

“No sir. But I did make it back alive and it did promise to assist.”

“I will hold you to that, Shepard. I have something else for you. An Aria T’Loak went through official channels to ask for your assistance. I understand you know her?”

Garrus and Shepard traded a look. “She’s been something of an allie, Admiral. A good person to know when things get interesting on Omega. Or I need information. She never does anything for free, but so far her pay requirements have been manageable.”

“Then I’ll leave you to it, Shepard. I’m not sure you can afford the distraction of Aria T’Loak’s requirements at this time. Am I understood?”

“Yes, sir.”

“Hackett out.”

Shepard clapped his hands together, “Well, I’m going to find some breakfast. You two coming?”

Tali and Garrus shared a look behind his back. Tali shook her head, with a hand to her helmet and Garrus rolled his eyes.


End file.
